The Resident Evil 2 ‘One-Shot Demo’ Takes Me Back to My Childhood

When Resident Evil 2 came out in 1998 I was barely 2 years old myself, so while I can’t say I’ve loved it since it came out, it is the first survival horror game I ever played and the game that launched my interest in horror. Suffice to say, my expectations of the remake are pretty high.

In the new Resident Evil 2 ‘One-Shot’ demo I got to relive the nightmares that those polygonal mutants and monsters bashed into my imagination in vivid detail, just as I remember them.

The One-Shot demo is a good opportunity for people that haven’t had the chance to try out the game (or saw the line at PAX and decided to try something else). The demo lasts you 30 minutes, and if you die before that you get to start again with the remaining minutes on your clock. After the clock runs out your “One Shot” is over and you’ll be shown a new trailer for the game as well as the first look at some some secret characters that were announced as returning to the remake that fans will really appreciate.

The demo starts you at the police station, where a large chunk of the original game takes place. Straight away you’re hit by the dense atmosphere of Resident Evil 2’s sound design. With headphones the binaural effect is pretty much perfect and the creaks and moans of the RCPD feel like they’re happening all around you. The sound in conjunction with the graphic quality of Capcom’s RE engine make the small (and gory) details really pop out at you, making it clear they’ve put as much effort into this remake as 2017’s Resident Evil 7.

From the start you’re thrown right into the dark with nothing but a flashlight to guide you and a pistol with just enough ammo to dispatch all the flesh eating zombies surrounding you. Quickly you’re treated to some horrible gore (including a guy being ripped in half) and spookiness that makes me feel like I’m a kid again playing on my PSone.

In loving memory of disc 2 of my copy of Resident Evil 2 that was lost in the great Dad step on of 2009.

All that remains of my copy of RE2

The Resident Evil 2 One Shot Demo is available now on Playstation 4, Xbox One and Steam (Windows only).

Resident Evil 2 comes to Playstation 4, Xbox One and Steam (Windows only) on January 25 and is available to preorder for $84.95.